The Nigeria Civil Service Union(NCSU) has berated the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly for calling for the arrest of the Chairmen of the Caretaker Committees put in place in the 23 local government areas of the State by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, describing the call as ridiculous, laughable and infantile.
The Rivers State Chairman of NCSU, Comrade Chukwuka Richman Osumah, who made the condemnation in an interview in Port Harcourt, said the former lawmakers lack the powers and locus to issue orders and directives or even make the call for the arrest of the caretaker committee chairmen, having lost their legitimacy to make laws for their constituents and the State following their defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the State.
He said the former lawmakers, who he described as 23 friends were merely blowing hot air, as their vituperation and actions against Governor Fubara would not hold any water, and therefore, would also not see the light of day.
Osumah noted that the caretaker committees put in place by Governor Fubara in the 23 local government areas are legitimate and recognised political entities acceptable to the people of the State since the tenure of the elected former chairmen of the councils had lapsed, saying, since nature abhors a vacuum, the caretaker committees are necessary and legitimate contraptions, to fill the void created by the ouster of the former officials of the councils.
While describing the call for the arrest of the caretaker committee chairmen as a joke taken too far, the labour leader wondered where they got the justification to make such a call, describing it as amusing and laughable.
He reiterated that the former lawmakers lack the moral justification to continue to hold plenaries, having ceased to be members of the House of Assembly by reason of their defection to the All Progressives Congress(APC).
He also indicated that civil servants in the State are closely monitoring and watching the activities of the former lawmakers and their co-travellers, who have precipitated the barricade of the local government councils by the police, saying, preventing council workers from discharging their legitimate duties is the height of injustice.
The labour leader posited that as the threat and plot by the former lawmakers to frustrate the Fubara administration by attempting to prevent it from accessing the funds of the State did not succeed, so also would the present move to arrest the caretaker committee chairmen fail and die a natural death.
While calling on the former lawmakers to stop creating tension in the State and heating up the polity, Osumah enjoined them to give peace a chance, and allow Governor Fubara to continue to provide the dividends of democracy to the people.
He said civil servants in the State would continue to support the Governor to achieve set goals despite the distractions by enemies of progress in the State, and expressed optimism that despite the unwarranted distractions, the government would soon commence the process of implementing the new minimum wage, as approved by the Federal Government and just passed into law by the National Assembly.